Photographic printer

ABSTRACT

A PRINTER FOR EXPOSING PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL IS SHOWN WITH A PRINTING TABLE HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN A CABINET TO RECEIVE PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIAL AND COPY. A TRANSPARENT PLATE IS PIVOTABLY MOUNTED TO HOLD THE PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIAL AND COPY IN CONTACT ABOVE THE TABLE WHICH MAY BE OF THE VACUUM TYPE. THE FRONT OF THE VACUUM TABLE MAY OR MAY NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE FRONT OF THE CABINET. A PIVOTABLE PANEL MAY BE PROVIDED TO SUPPORT A PRINTING LIGHT ABOVE THE TABLE. A MOVABLE PLATE AT LEAST PARTIALLY OPAQUE TO ACTINIC RAYS MAY BE MOVED UPWARDLY AS THE TRANSPARENT PLATE IS RAISED. A SAFELIGHT MAY BE MOUNTED WITHIN THE CABINET. A CONTROL PANEL MAY BE MOUNTED UNDER THE VACUUM TABLE AND A COMBINATION LIFTING AND LATCHING HANDLE MAY BE MOUNTED AT THE FRONT EDGE OF THE TRANSPARENT PLATE.

Jan. 12, 1971 M'CHALSK' 3,554,644

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER Filed June 19. 1968 INVENTOR 4%4/(1 YM/L m/v A Maw:,w/

ATTO R N EY United States Patent 3,554,644 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTERMaksymilian A. Michalski, Woodside, N.Y., assignor to Berkey Photo,Inc., New York, N.Y. Filed June 19, 1968, Ser. No. 738,305 Int. Cl..G03b27/02 US. Cl. 355-78 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A printer forexposing photographic material is shown with a printing tablehorizontally mounted within a cabinet to receive photosensitive materialand copy. A transparent plate is pivotably mounted to hold thephotosensitive material and copy in contact above the table which may beof the vacuum type. The front of the vacuum table may or may not extendbeyond the front of the cabinet. A pivotable panel may be provided tosupport a printing light above the table. A movable plate at leastpartially opaque to actinic rays may be moved upwardly as thetransparent plate is raised. A safelight may be mounted within thecabinet. A control panel may be mounted under the vacuum table and acombination lifting and latching handle may be mounted at the front edgeof the transparent plate.

The present invention relates to photographic printers and moreparticularly to printing apparatus for use in exposing photosensitivematerial in contact with copy.

Heretofore printers of this type have been provided some of which arenothing more than a table with a printing light suspended over thetable. As the art has progressed printers have been developed of thetypes in which printing lights are positioned within enclosures andframes to hold the photosensitive material and copy in contact have beenpivotably mounted at the top or at one of the sides of the enclosures.Obviously the open light printer must be' used in rooms in whichadequate means are provided to safeguard unexposed photosensitivematerial from being exposed by the printing light. Further, thisconstruction is disadvantageous in that the operator is exposed to thebright rays of light from the printing lamp and thus finds it difficultto handle the exposed photosensitive material under safelights or thelike until the operators eyes become accustomed to the dim light. Theswinging frame apparatus generally are of expensive construction and insome cases the heavy frames require considerable effort to be swung fromprinting to loading positions.

The present invention aims to overcome the difficulties anddisadvantages of prior constructions by providing a printer in which thesupporting table for the photosensitive material and copy is fixedlymounted in position.

In accordance with the invention a printer is provided including a tableeither partially or wholly housed within a cabinet. A transparent plateis provided to hold the copy in contact with the photosensitive materialfor printing. A panel at least partially opaque to light rays closes thefront of the cabinet so that at least some of the rays from the printinglight are blocked from reaching the operator, means being provided toraise the light blocking panel as the transparent plate is swungupwardly to insert or to remove the photosensitive material and copy.

In accordance with the invention in certain embodiments a vacuum tablemay be used to hold the copy and photosensitive material in goodcontact. In other embodiments the table may project outwardly from thefront of the cabinet so as to provide a large printing area with a smallsized cabinet. The panel blocking the printing light rays may be whollyopaque to the printing light or may be partially opaque so that theoperator may view the printing operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the accompanying drawings which show, byway of example, an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer in accordance with theinvention with the light blocking panel in position ready for operation.

FIG. 2 is a view according to FIG. 1 with the upper portion of the.front panel swung open revealing the printing light. The front partiallyopaque panel has been removed and is positioned in front of the printer.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIG. 1 a printer 10 inaccordance with the invention, the printer including a pair of sidewalls11 and 12 which are opaque as is the back 14 of the panel. A table 15 ishorizontally mounted within the cabinet at table height providing legroom thereunder as indicated at 16. The table 15 is covered with atransparent plate 17 pivotably mounted at its rear 19 using any suitableconstruction not shown. The pivotable mounting means may also include aconventional spring or counterbalance not shown to assist the operatorin raising the transparent plate 17. A top front panel 20 is preferablyopaque and is pivotably mounted as indicated at 21, conventionalblocking arms 22 being provided to hold the top front panel 20 swungoutwardly. On the inner surface of the panel 20 is a source of printinglight 24 which is preferably a high intensity light and may be of thexenon or metal additive discharge lamp type provided with a shutter asdescribed in pending patent application Ser. No. 691,357, filed on Dec.18, 1967 by myself and Peter Promuto and entitled Light Unit Assembly.Alternatively any other suitable source of printing light may be used.One or more safelights 25 may be mounted within the cabinet 10. On theunderside of the vacuum table 15 may be positioned a control panel 26including such controls as an on/oif power switch 27, an open/ closeshutter switch 29, a printing light timer 30, a vacuum gauge 31, avacuum motor on/off switch 32 and a safelight on/off switch 34. Inaddition, at the top of the panel hidden from view is a switch 35 foroperating a vacuum pump motor automatically.

The transparent plate 17 is raised and lowered by a generallyhorizontally extending operating handle 36 carried by a rod 37 having alatching means 39 at both sides thereof. Any conventional constructionmay be utilized whereby the latching means 39 actuates a hidden switch35 for the vacuum motor and also possibly actuates a vacuum valve notshown so that the vacuum is provided as soon as the transparent plate isswung into operating position. Above the transparent plate 17 andattached at the front end thereof is a light blocking panel 40 at leastpartially opaque to actinic rays and preferably formed with side members41 and 42 of generally triangular shape. The light blocking panel 40 isattached to the front end of the transparent plate 17 by means of pins43 and 44 extending from the front of the blocking panel 40 intoopenings in the frame of the transparent plate 17. The upper end 46 ofthe light blocking panel 40 is slideably mounted in guideways 47 and 49so arranged that when the operating handle 36 is raised upwardly liftingthe transparent plate 17 of the light :blocking panel 40 is movedupwardly, its upper end 46 sliding in the guideways 47 and 49. Ifdesired the top of the cabinet may be left open so as to provideventilation for the printing lamp 24.

In one embodiment the table may be wholly positioned within the cabinet.If desired, and preferably, the table 15 may project from the front ofthe cabinet about a quarter more or less of its depth. Preferably in thelarger constructions the table 15 is of the vacuum type operable byvacuum means which may take the form of an electric motor powered vacuumpump, not shown, but which may be mounted within or on the rear of thecabinet.

In use the printer is operated in a darkroom lighted by the usual safetylights. Also included in the darkroom is the developing apparatus andsupplies of photographic material. In using the printer the operator maysit in front of the machine. The power switch 27 is turned on, theshutter switch 29 is turned to the closed position, the printing timer30 is set to the desired time, and the vacuum motor switch 32 is turnedon as is the safelight switch 4. The operating handle 36 is lifted whichautomatically disengages the latching means 39 which releases anactuator for the hidden switch .35 so that the vacuum motor isdisconnected from its power source. As the operating handle 36 is liftedit moves the panel 40 upwardy and of course the transparent plate 17 sothat the top of the vacuum table 15 is accessible and is illuminated bythe safelight 25. The photosensitive material is placed in position overthe vacuum table with copy placed in contact thereover. The operatinghandle 36- is moved downwardly which presses the transparent plate 17against the upper surface of the copy pressing it against thephotosensitive material. Simultaneously the latching means 39 is engagedand contacts an operating arm for the hidden switch which starts thevacuum motor producing the desired amount of vacuum which may be notedon the gauge 31. As the operating handle has been moved downwardlylowering the transparent plate 17 the panel has been moved downwardly.The operator thus can view the copy through the panel 40 and transparentplate 17 to assure that it has remained in proper position. The shutterswitch 29 is opened and the desired exposure of the photosensitivematerial is made by the opening of the shutter for the lamp 2.4. Theshutter is automatically closed at the end of a predetermined time asset on the timer 30.

In the event replacement of the bulb or cleaning of the light unit 24 isto be done the top front panel 20 is swung outwardly and automaticallylatched into position by the blocking arms 22. After the work has beencompleted the blocking arms 22 may be lifted so that the top front panel20 is swung back into position.

If desired a developing apparatus or safe for undeveloped photosensitivematerial may be suitably arranged in the legroom space 16 under thetable 15, i

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference tospecific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that otherembodiments may be resorted to Without departing from the invention.Therefore, the form of the invention set out above should be consideredas illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A printer for use in exposing photosensitive material comprising acabinet, a table horizontally mounted within the cabinet, a transparentplate substantially covering the table, means pivotably mounting thetransparent plate above the table to receive photosensitive material andcopy therebetween, a source of printing light mounted within the cabinetand directed towards the transparent plate, a viewing panel at leastpartially opaque to actinic rays closing the front of the cabinet abovethe transparent plate and movable therewith, and guideway means on thecabinet for slideable movement of the viewing panel as it is raised andlowered with the transparent plate as the plate is swung upwardly anddownwardly to provide space so as to insert or to remove thephotosensitive material and the copy from between the plate and thetable.

2. A printer according to claim 1 in which at least one safelight ispositioned within said. cabinet illuminating said table.

3. A printer according to claim 1 in which said means at least partiallyopaque to actinic rays is provided with side members.

4. A printer according to claim 1 in which a top front panel is providedand positioned to close at least a portion of said cabinet above saidmeans at least partially opaque to actinic rays.

5. A printer according to claim 4 in which means are included pivotablymounting said top front panel of said cabinet so that it may be swungoutwardly, and means are provided holding said upper front of thecabinet in said outward position.

6. A printer according to claim 5 in which said source of printing lightis mounted on said top front panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1945 Gaebel 355-94X 12/1967Blatherwick 355-93 s. :1. X.R. 35 -93

